Located off busy Carrington Road in Mt Albert, Unitec is one of the leading technical universities…read morein New Zealand. Specialising the hands-on, more creative courses like Graphic Design, Filmmaking and Building, Unitec offers fantastic tertiary programmes that are now recognised and valued overseas. Though I haven't personally attended Unitec, I really wish I had. I completed a BA degree at Auckland Uni and not a day goes by that I don't consider studying film or photography at Unitec. This isn't helped by the fact that I live right beside it, and am constantly impressed by the different events that are held on Unitec's grounds. Moreover, I am constantly envious of the grounds themselves. Unlike other university campuses in Auckland, Unitec offers its students free onsite parking, and dozens of appealing outdoor, spacious areas in which to study or sun yourself during breaks. The fields at Unitec are great. Despite being located within the realm of central Auckland, when on the Unitec campus you feel somewhat removed from it all. And unlike other universities, the atmosphere at Unitec is really welcoming and relaxed. If I ever go back to study, it will be at Unitec! Tip: The Unitec carparks are a great place to learn to drive. The little roads connecting each building are relatively traffic free during the weekend so are the perfect place to get used to driving and parking!

There are plenty of ghost stories haunting this place, and I was fortunate enough to take a tour…read morewith a former student here. It has that decaying and old worldly feel that makes you particularly drawn to it as a haunted house, but the fact it was a psychiatric hospital really adds to the creepy flavour. I say 'was', but there's still the Mason Clinic on campus for the criminally insane. Would you still like to go to University here? Well, I've heard good and bad things about Unitec. In my experience, it's a fascinating place to visit, take photos in and they are constantly drawing people in with new and innovative events, functions and programmes. Don't try and make a movie here unless you have big bucks, cause they will charge you big bucks for the effort, unless you happen to be a Unitec student. Aside from that, it's worth a squiz any day!

What can I say about this amazing new centre. I had the pleasure of being shown around this amazing…read morecentre (just out of interest) and I'm very impressed, not only about the location, but the amazing space purpose built for kids in this great thriving community. The centre is large with ideal spaces for babies and a toddler areas too. Plenty of arts and creative space, kitchen, bathrooms and laundry area and also some beautiful outdoor play areas for the little ones. The centre director Cindy was excellent, very knowledgeable and passionate about her work. I would surely love for my kid to go here. I'm however confident in all other children's experiences and parents too as my child went to another centre of the same owner (Blue Frog) and I've also seen another Mangere Bridge Centre - Spotted Frog and all three are of high calibre and provides excellent teaching staff for all ages 0-6 years.

My dad went here, I went here and while my kids aren't attending plenty of my nieces and nephews…read moreare carrying on the tradition. This is a friendly country school, very much in vogue as the suburb it resides in has elevated position out West. There is a sculpture of an apple tree with students standing under it on the school grounds which encapsulates the history of this, a school which served its community members many who were orchardists. Many other sculptures and artworks are proudly displayed around the school, such as a mural of an apple tree on a school building as you drive into the school. The teachers are reportedly still wonderful and caring about their students. A keen PTA seems to always be on board. Two main social events on the calendar include a country fair in March and the Stark Brown Picnic in November, both events to celebrate the community spirit through a great little school.

Whenever I pick up my son from daycare, he looks happy, not just happy to see me, but truly filled…read morewith joy. I can see that he was well looked after, received personal time and enjoyed a good rest between play periods. I simply love the way the ladies at Kindercare on Greville look after my little one. I chose Kindercare over other childcare facilities, because of the smaller numbers, but also because of their values. Glennie, the owner of Kindercare is a true Kiwi Gem, and all the Kindercare kids can thank her for her devotion to quality care. I for one can recommend Kindercare as the foundation for your child's education

Kindercare in Greville road is literally the best childcare I have experienced in two countries…read more What a gem. Great work ladies.

I cannot recommend Oaktree Kindergarten highly enough. From the moment my daughter, Felicity,…read morestarted here, the teachers have gone above and beyond in creating a safe, loving, and inspiring environment. They are not only highly professional and experienced but also genuinely warm, patient, and attentive to each child's individual needs. What stands out most is how incredibly supportive and nurturing the teachers are. They truly see Felicity as a whole person -- encouraging her confidence, creativity, independence, and social skills. Whenever I drop her off, I feel reassured knowing she is surrounded by such dedicated and caring educators. The activities are also exceptional. From hands-on science experiments (like making "dinosaur eggs" fizz open with hidden surprises inside) to imaginative play, music, art, and storytelling, every day is filled with rich opportunities for learning and discovery. I've seen Felicity grow in confidence, curiosity, and joy since joining Oaktree, and she now comes home excited to share what she's learned. It is the greatest feeling as a parent to see my daughter run to her teachers with unconditional hugs and to know that she has a special connection with each and every one of them. That bond is priceless, and it speaks volumes about the heart this team puts into their work. A special thank you to Jane, Lucy, Jenny, Vanessa, Amy, and Natalie -- you are an incredible team, and I am deeply grateful for the love and dedication you show every single day. If you're looking for a kindergarten that is more than just a childcare centre -- a place where your child will be truly valued, guided, and inspired -- Oaktree Kindergarten is the best choice you could make.

Technically a child should be writing this review. I think if a four-year-old could type it would…read morego something like this... "I like going to kindy here because there is a fun playground with a slide and I can climb up on it with my friends. I like going on all the swings too! Inside there are toys everywhere I can play with and we also do painting and make cool stuff. I learnt to count in Maori and now I know all about fire trucks and police cars." But that's just a guess... I went to a four-year-old birthday party here in the weekend and it was the perfect venue for this event. The kids were set free on all the play equipment outside so there were no issues with keeping them entertained. There was a kitchen to prepare the party food and lots of nice shady areas for the adults to sit. I heard it was really inexpensive too with a small fee to be paid for birthday parties of any child enrolled in the kindy. My nephew comes here a few times a week and he absolutely loves it. He calls it "big boy kindy" and has made some wonderful friends here. The stories I hear about his adventures at Oaktree make me wish I could take a day off from my life to build sandcastles and paint pictures with the carefree kiddies.

Ok, now it is a few years since my children were preschoolers, but I think I still have the…read moreauthority to rave about Titirangi Kindergarten. This is based on my own experiences and on chatting to friends who have youngsters attending, all who share the same sentiments as me. Which is a glowing 5 Star endorsement. From day one, each and every one of my three children (and all of our neighbourhood friends who attended) fell in love with this relaxed kindy, their great facilities and mostly the lovely teachers. Here's what is so awesome about the kindy: their nature table and their woodwork area get top marks. A sandpit to envy other kindergartens, complemented by a great adventure playground which is nestled in the Titirangi bush. Cool books and an even cooler Lego collection. There was not a day that went by that the kids didn't bring home a colourful artistic creation of recounted yet another adventure at Titirangi Kindy. Well prepared for school years after a stint at this kindergarten.

I did a Creative Writing Diploma via correspondence with these guys. They provided a Tutor to give…read moreme feedback, rather than a grading system, which I thought was really useful. All the course material was very thorough, and gave me a good understanding of creating characters and dialogue, which was previously a sketchy area for me. I liked the structure of the course, and they regularly kept in contact. They also do photography, journalism, proofreading, communication and life coaching courses. You can work on them when you like and as often as you like. Their website looks a bit unprofessional and boring, but don't be fooled. You'll definitely learn a few things.

This is where both my children spent (and one is still spending) their primary years. It has long…read morehad a reputation as being one of the best schools in the central Auckland suburbs, so much so that house prices, including rentals, in the area are a good hundred dollars more (per week, rental or add three zeros for purchase) than those just over the boundary. All parents in Auckland come up against the bloody school zone dilemma because opinions are like arseholes - everyone has one. In the end I think that you can never know what a school is like for your particular child and family until you try it yourself. Our first few years here were great, although it's important to note that this is a "learning" school for teachers which means there's a good proportion who are just starting out in their careers. This has proved to be a positive and a negative - it just depends on the teacher. After a really great three or so years things things began to slide and choices were being made that many parents were questioning. The outcome of this is that the school is currently under a temporary principal (who seems to be doing a great job under the circumstances) and the hope is that the new permanent principal will start in Term 2 2013. The school community is very much looking forward to this as big decisions regarding the way forward will once again be possible so if you are thinking of this school for your child, keep your ear to ground and see what happens.

I never actually went to Maungawhau, but I had friends who did. They turned out alright. My…read moreintroduction to this place was years after primary school, when I was inducted into the illicit, underground cricket ring that operated out of here. Illicit and underground might be overstating it a bit. Basically we would just play little games of cricket on the courts here in the afternoons sometimes. For a school grounds after hours it's nice how much use it gets. Quite apart from us wrecking our shoulders pretending we know how to bowl, you often see other people throwing balls around, or small children on roller blades and bikes being trailed by weary, obliging parents. This school is a focal point of the community not only because it's a school, with everything that entails, but also because of the space itself and the use people make of it. This is really nice to see, and we're happy to donate several tennis balls to the cause (we've left most of them on the roof, and a couple lodged in that big tree).